Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

While I was laying in bed last night, I couldn’t sleep because I had about a million things running through my head. I figured if maybe I wrote them down, it would help me clear my mind. So, here are some things that have been bothering me lately, and a remedy for anyone else feeling stressed, frustrated, anxious, angry, sad, etc.

1. Summer jobs & internships: I hate being stuck inside 5 days in a row. I usually only get one day of sunshine (if that) per week. I just want to go to the beach! Someone should open a business where there are optional, out-door cubicles with an out-door dining area. I bet if they did employee T.O. would decrease and everyone would be much happier and more productive. For now, I’ll settle with taking an hour lunch break somewhere far away and outside of my office.
2. Spontaneity & last minute planning: If any of you know me at all, you know that I hate when I do not have a set schedule to follow, and even more so I hate when others prevent me from following such schedule. I get anxious and stressed when my parents tell me one hour before a family dinner that our family will eating all together, or when a babysitting client calls two hours before they would like me to sit. I cannot just drop what I am doing! What frustrates me the most, though, is when people commit to something that involves me, but they don’t follow up with the plan. It is a waste of my time and energy, not to mention I tend to get easily excited over small things, like going to the zoo. I should tell Obama (or McCain) that his first presidential decision should be to make everyone carry around a blackberry, and when they get off schedule they get a little zap.
3. Peer Pressure: If I do not want to do something for whatever personal or irrational reasons I have, then do not make me. Very simple. I don’t insistently force others to do things they really don’t want to do, so I should not be the subject of such peer pressure either. Something else I would like to clear up – just because I do not want to join in a specific event or activity, does not mean I “hate” you or dislike you or talk about you or anything even close. All it means is I don’t want to do it. So for anyone who thinks I am “against” someone or doing something, you’re wrong. If you aren’t affecting me, then you are A-Okay in my book. However, if I feel as though I am being pressured to do anything at all, I won’t stick around. Thankfully, there is an easy solution to this – just remember “no means no,” no matter who you are dealing with.
4. Interrupted Sleep: My dog is in the terrible habit of waking me up throughout the night. I don’t know if she is sleep walking or restless or hyper or what. On week nights, I usually get home around 12:30 or 1. My parents fall asleep around 10pm, so I just quietly say good night and make my way to my room. However, my dog must have super hearing, because for the past three nights, about 10 minutes after I get settled in bed, I hear scratching and whining at my door. I usually just ignore this and my dog goes away, but she keeps coming back at 3AM and 5AM and sometimes 7AM (I don’t wake up for work until 7:30). If anyone has any sleeping pills for the canine group please send them to me.
5. Debbie-Downers: I will admit, everyone, myself included, has their doldrums period where the world sucks and everyone in it sucks and there’s nothing to do but bitch about it. But I don’t think my life is ever bad – in fact, I think I am very lucky and have a great life, despite all that I have been through. However, when people complain and legitimately think their life is terrible and worse than everyone else’s, then there is something wrong. No matter who you are or what is happening in your life, there is always someone else who had or has it worse than you. Also, life isn’t fair. It never will be, whether you are on the receiving end or not of the unfair treatment. Sometimes we get breaks and other times we get the shaft. Don’t cry about the bad stuff, go buy yourself a helmet, life only gets tougher as you age.
6. Verizon Wireless: I am not sure if every single Verizon Wireless store is like the one in my town, but I went into the the store yesterday TWICE, each time for a little over an hour, and was never helped. My name reached the top of the waiting list once, but I left before anyone got to helping me. The funny (or not so funny) thing is, as I was looking around the store, I saw at least three employees just standing there smiling and waving to customers. What the heck?! If you are going to stand there and look nice, the least you can do is contribute to my visit in your store. I am giving you revenue, for goodness sake, I want to see some prime customer service! I have blocked out about a five hour time period for this weekend to go back… I figure that’s how long I will need.
7. Awkward Encounters with the Past: I went out to lunch the other day with some old MRHS friends, S and C. This is not the awkward encounter, so sorry to mislead. We went over to the Greenhouse in Margate where D works, so I also got to see her as well. I guess I haven’t seen S and C since we graduated, and I saw D maybe once during Christmas break of freshman year in college. I will say, it was very nice catching up and reminiscing about basketball and high school. The awkward part of this story really involves the moments after lunch, though. On our drive home, we drove up next to a car and realized B.E. and K.P. were seated in the driver’s and passenger’s seats. It just so happened that we were in double lanes, with them exactly next to us, and all those damn lights on Jerome Ave. kept turning red, so we kept going and stopping right next to them, too. Awk…..warddd. Then C happened to be staring out the back window, and she sees A.T. driving right behind us! It was like a MRHS reunion on the Margate Causeway. Interactions with people who you rarely talk to, or have never talked to, are always extremely awkward and should always be avoided. I prefer the “act like I don’t see you” approach… works 90% of the time.

Now, in order to keep my head up and stay sane in this crazy world, I think back to my favorite part in one of my favorite Broadway shows. I am sure there are many of you who know the song I am about to write out, especially if you are a Broadway and-or Monty Python fan. Whenever you really hate yourself or someone else or just life in general, just listen to this song (or sing it, if that floats your boat):

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you’re chewing on life’s gristle
Don’t grumble, give a whistle
And this’ll help things turn out for the best…

And…always look on the bright side of life…
Always look on the light side of life…

If life seems jolly rotten
There’s something you’ve forgotten
And that’s to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you’re feeling in the dumps
Don’t be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle – that’s the thing.

And…always look on the bright side of life…
Always look on the light side of life…

For life is quite absurd
And death’s the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin – give the audience a grin
Enjoy it – it’s your last chance anyhow.

So always look on the bright side of death
Just before you draw your terminal breath

Life’s a piece of shit
When you look at it
Life’s a laugh and death’s a joke, it’s true.
You’ll see it’s all a show
Keep ‘em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.

And always look on the bright side of life…
Always look on the right side of life.

This song is from Monty Python’s Spamalot Broadway musical. Titled “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”, words and music by Eric Idle, it can be found on iTunes for download. It never fails to at least put a little smile on my face, and I’m sure it will do the same for anyone who listens to it. If it doesn’t cheer you up or calm you down the first time you listen to it, just keep listening to it until it does! I’m already smiling (And if this song really doesn’t help you, go exercise until you can’t move any more… you’ll be too tired to be depressed or frustrated)

For a funny clip from Spamalot the movie starring ‘The Black Knight’ seen above, go here.